The I ♥ Cebu blog by Peanut Browas

​A trip to the southern part of Cebu can be a trip down the history of the island. You can find numerous churches and Spanish era houses in the southern towns of the island. If you take a look at the churches, you will note that these were built like fortresses with their thick and high walls. These served as a refuge for natives in case of attacks by Moro raiders. Aside from the churches, the Spaniards also built watchtowers to warn natives of the presence of these raiders. These watchtowers can be seen in many towns in the southern part of Cebu, and one of these watchtowers is the Obong watchtower in Dalaguete.

Obong Watchtower – image source: tripadvisor.com.ph

Watchtowers in Cebu

Cebu has the biggest number of watchtowers in the country. The remnants of these watchtowers can still be seen up to today and have become one of the tourist spots of these towns. In southeastern Cebu, a network of watchtowers was built by Fray Julian Bermejo, who was the parish priest of Boljoon in the late 19th century. These watchtowers complemented the protection offered by the churches built by the Spaniards.

Boljoon Church – image source: Wikipedia.org

Obong Watchtower

The Obong watchtower in Dalaguete is the watchtower guarding this southern town during the Spanish era. It was built in the 17th century and served as a lookout and place of refuge against Moro raiders in the past. It was also a part of the coastal defense system set up by the Spaniards. The watchtower allows visitors to relive the history of Dalaguete and Cebu as a whole. While it is already just an abandoned structure consisting of coral bricks, it was once a proud watchtower used in monitoring the presence of raiders in the area. It is one of the remnants of the Spanish occupation of the island of Cebu.

Obong Watchtower – image source: pinterest.com

​The Obong watchtower is also close to another tourist spot in Dalaguete, the Obong Spring. If you are keen on taking a dip in its icy cold waters, you can take a short hike from the watchtower to the spring.

Obong Spring – image source: flickr.com

Getting to the Obong Watchtower

You can get to the Obong Watchtower by getting on a bus headed for Dalaguete at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Just make sure you tell the driver or conductor you want to get off at the Obong Spring, which is located within walking distance from the Obong Watchtower.

Obong Watchtower – image source: tripadvisor.com.ph

​Aside from being the Vegetable Basket of Cebu, Dalaguete is also home to a number of tourist spots where local and international tourists can visit. While most of the tourist spots are natural wonders, there are also some Spanish era sites that show part of the history of the town. The Obong watchtower is one of these tourist spots.

Have you visited the Obong watchtower already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.